As if TV Pro Wrestling and SOM Basketball aren't enough, I have taken on another game, Apba golf! I have the 1971 PGA golfers and will be using the Apba rules and both Apba and ASG courses. I have a 16 event schedule, which includes mostly real events at the time, but also a few events that did not exist in 1971. 8 golfers will play each event, with a cut down to hopefully 6, but I will play that by ear.

I have divided the golfers into 4 groups: (1) the big 4, Jack, Arnie, Lee and Gary, who will each play 14 events; (2) a group of about 12 golfers (George Archer, Gene Littler etal) who will play a few events, (3) another group of 12 who will play 1 or 2 events, and (4) guys who won't play at all. If someone won an event they will at least get 1 start, and if that event is part of my schedule they will play that event. Charles Coody for example won the 1971 Masters so he will play that event. I have left open slots in the majors and other big tournaments (Players, Match Play) for guys in groups 2 and 3 who play well.

The season-opening tournament is the D.C. Open, being played at Congressional (Apba course Metro DC). First place prize money for the event is $25,000! And our good friends at Winston have promised a year's supply of smokes to the first golfer to make a hole-in-one on tour!

The first round of the 1971 DC Open is complete. The conditions were normal but the wind was blustery at Congressional, and the pin position was the extremely difficult 5, and this caused some high scores. Note that the 11th was played as a par 5.

Jack Nicklaus missed two 5' putts and a 6' but still finished -2, the only player to finish under par.

Gary Player had the most interesting round, bogeying 3 and 6 before holing out from 80 yards on the short par 4 8th (which played as the easiest hole at -6), birdying 9, 11 and 13 and bogeying 10, 12, 14 and 18 (which played as the most difficult hole, +9, with only Jack not getting a bogey or worse).

Arnold Palmer had a nice round going until he lost a ball in the trees AND found the water on 18.

Last edited by Derek Kraft on Aug 18, 2017 - 04:12 PM; edited 1 time in total

Derek Kraft

Post subject: 1971 D.C. Open round 2 Posted: Aug 18, 2017 - 04:12 PM

Joined: Jul 15, 2015
Posts: 546
Location: New York
Status: Offline

Scoring conditions were easier on Day 2 as the course played Normal with Calm winds and the much easier Pin Position 4. All but Eichelberger shot a better round than they did on Day 1.

Player and later Nicklaus played the best as each shot a -5 67. Player shot 4 under on the front and made 2 24' birdie putts on the back 9 par 5s before hooking his 2nd shot into the water and doubling 18. Nicklaus only hit 5 Fairways but it didn't matter when your short stick was as hot as his. Jack holed a bomb from 49' and also sank one from 25'. But it wasn't just from distance - he made mid-range putts look easy too, including one from 11' and three from 10'!

Trevino shot a 70 to keep himself in it and Littler a 69 to get to red numbers.

The 3rd round is complete. It was another benign day of Normal conditions, Calm winds and pin position 2. On moving day 2 players made big moves, but in opposite directions.

George Archer was impressive, shooting a -5 67, matching the best round for the tournament. He had 5 consecutive 1-putts on the front and twice hit the green with his second shot on a par 5.

Jack Nicklaus doubled both the par 4 12th (drove into trees, had to play safe, then butchered a wedge) and the par 4 18th (water!). He also had 3 birdies and 3 bogies and finished with a disappointing round of +4.

Any of 5 players can now win on Sun (I don't think Miller has a shot) after Archer's great round and Nicklaus's poor one.

What a Sunday it was here at Congressional (Metro DC Apba course), site of the opening event of the 1971 season, the D.C. Open. All but one player shot under par and the best round of the tournament was posted.

Conditions: Calm, Normal Wind, Pin Position 6

Johnny Miller and Lee Trevino were the first out. Miller had an up and down front 9 with 3 birdies and a bogey and was out in a -1 35, putting him at +1 overall. Lee on the other hand was hot, hitting all but one fairway AND green and had 3 birdies, including one from 31', and shot a 33 on the front, putting him at -4 overall.

George Archer and Gary Player were next. Archer opened with 8 straight pars but the rest of his day was a struggle and he never challenged, shooting a +4 76 and finishing +2 overall. Gary bogeyed 1 then parred five consecutive holes before jump-starting his round w/ a 27' birdie on 7. He followed up w/ a 14' birdie on 8 and shot a -1 35 on the front, placing him in contention at -3 overall.

The overnight leaders at -3, Jack Nicklaus and Gene Littler were the final group. Each bogeyed and birdied a hole early. Gene hit all but one green on the front. He birdied three consecutive holes, 5, 6 and 7, and then for good measure 9, thanks to great iron play and hot short range putting, sinking putts from 8', 7', 4', and 9' respectively. Littler shot a sizzling 32 going out and was -7 overall. Jack hammered a 350 yard drive on the par 5 6th then sank a 45' eagle putt. He followed up w/ an 8 Iron to 4' on the next hole, adding a birdie. Nicklaus shot a 33 and was -6 overall at the turn.

Johnny Miller caught fire on the back, birdying 11 after knocking a 100' lag putt to 2', and then sticking his irons and making his putts on 12 (11'), 13 (6'), 14 (5') and 16 (6'). Miller was -4 overall and had to be contemplating the most unlikely of comebacks. Alas, it was not to be, as he found the trees, the sand and the rough on 17, doubling the hole. He finished with a 68 and -2 overall.

Trevino and then Player birdied the short par 5 11th. Player then birdied the following hole, putting each at -5. Littler dropped a shot when he went over the green on the difficult par 3 10 and couldn't get up and down. Nicklaus did worse, finding the water and a double bogey. Both bounced back with birdies on the par 5 though. Jack was -5 and Littler was -7 w/ a two shot lead over 3 chasers.

Trevino parred 12-15 to remain at -5. Player dropped a shot at 13 but birdied both 14 and 15 to move to -6. Littler parred 12-15 and remained at -7. Jack went par, bogey, birdie, par over 12-15 and was -5.

Lee went for the green on the par 5 16th, ended up in the sand, and hit his wedge to 15'. He then sank the birdie putt to move one stroke back at -6. He parred the difficult 17th.

Player also went for the green on the par 5 and found the sand. He knocked his wedge even closer, 8', but couldn't sink the putt. Player then missed the green on both his 2nd and 3rd shots on 17, and had to settle for a bogey, dropping him to -5. He would end up parring the 18th.

Jack had to be disappointed with a par on 16 especially after bombing a 350 yard drive. But not as disappointed as Littler who needed 4 shots to find the green and 2 putts to complete the hole dropping to -6 and a share of the lead w/ Trevino.

Trevino found the green w/ his 5 iron 2nd shot on 18 but was 41' away. With the clutch subtraction he MADE THE PUTT!!! Trevino was in the clubhouse w/ a 66 and -7 overall.

On the 17th, Nicklaus was 70' away from a birdie and got to within a 1', but it wouldn't fall. He would birdie 18 to finish at 69 and -6 overall, one back of Lee.

That left Littler, who came into the round tied for the lead and led by 2 strokes at the turn. He found the rough w/ his 2nd on 17 then needed to make an 8' putt to stay within a stroke. MISS! Gene would bogey and then par 18 to finish w/ a 70 and -5 overall. I don't know if Gene was thinking about the money or the certainty that a Masters' invitation would be waiting for him if he could win this one, but whatever it was, he fell apart late. You have to feel for him.

The tour will now take a west coast swing for the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open, the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am, and the Hawaiian Open. Hope to see you there!

Derek Kraft

Post subject: 1971 GC-LA Open round 1 Posted: Sep 06, 2017 - 01:28 PM

Joined: Jul 15, 2015
Posts: 546
Location: New York
Status: Offline

The Tour begins its West Coast Swing with the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open at Riviera Country Club (Apba Los Angeles). The winner receives not only $22,000 but also the coveted Rhinestone Jacket.

Day 1 featured a Firm course, Moderate winds and Pin Position 1.

Gary Player and JC Snead were the 1st group out. The South African birdied the opening 2 holes then carded another on 5. Through 8 holes Player was -3 with 1 putts on EVERY hole. He proceeded to 3-putt on 9 and bogeyed. Snead parred everything on the front except for a bogey on 7. Player drove into the trees on 12 and had a Lost Ball. After finding the sand with his 2nd, and then hitting to 30’, he had to settle for a disappointing double bogey. He birdied and bogeyed one more each coming in and finished with an even par 71. Snead went bogey, birdie, bogey to begin the back but then birdied 15 and 16. He also finished at even par 71.

Arnold Palmer and Dave Stockton were next. Coming off a missed cut, Arnie was determined, birdieing 1 and 2, grinding out a tough bogey on 5 after hitting into the trees and being forced to play safe, and finding red numbers again on 6 and 9. He was -3 at the turn with only 10 putts. Stockton stuck a 4W on the easy par 5 1st (Snead was the only player who didn’t get at least a birdie on the hole) to within 6’, then sank the putt to open with an eagle. He then found the trees on his drive on the 2nd and went backwards after hitting a trunk with his 2nd, which he ended up doubling. Stockton then made a 51’ putt from the fringe on 4 and followed up with 2 more birdies on 5 and 6. He bogeyed 7 after failing to hit the green then made a pair of 10’ par putts on 8 and 9. He was -2 after 9. Arnold parred the first 5 holes on the back, missing makeable birdie putts of 7’ and 8’. He then made birdies on 15 and 16 after knocking 8Is to 10’ and 7’ respectively. Palmer finished with a birdie on 18 and carded an excellent -6 65. Stockton had 2 birdies and a bogey on the back and finished nicely with a -3 68.

Miller Barber and Billy Casper were the 3rd group. Barber bombed his tee shot on 1 and knocked a 4I second to 7’, two-putting for a birdie. He found the trees and had an unplayable lie on the 2nd, which led to double. He boarded the bogey train at the end of the front 9 beginning on 7, where he had a poor lie in a fairway bunker and failed to advance the ball. He was +4 at the turn. Casper hit all but 1 fairway on the front nine and had 3 birdies, including a 28’ putt, and no bogeys. On the back Casper chipped in from 20 yards and added another birdie and one bogey, finishing with a fine 67 (-4). Barber rallied a bit, carding a pair of birdies and no further blemishes and finished with a 73 (+2).

The final group consisted of Lee Trevino, winner last week in our nation’s capital, and Bob Lunn (who won the “real” 1971 GC-LA Open). Trevino got off to a birdie, bogey, bogey, birdie start and was -1 at the turn. Lunn birdied the opening two holes then gave them back with bogeys on 5 and 6. He was even after 9. Trevino birdied the difficult par 3 10th (the only player to do so) and followed it up with the same on the par 5 11th. He saved par with a 13’ putt on 13 and hit a 7I to 3’ on 16 but missed the putt. Trevino reached the clubhouse with a -3 68. Lunn had 3 birdies on the back, but also 5 bogeys. A 3-putt from 15’ on the par 5 17th was a killer. He finished with a +2 73.

What a fun round Friday was at the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open. Arnold Palmer opened the day with a 2 shot lead but at various times 3 others shared the lead, and 2 of those guys each had the solo lead for a spell. At the end of the day, 5 players were within 2 shots of the leaders.

Conditions: Course = Firm, Wind = Calm, Pin Position = 4

Lets's start with the 2 players that missed the cut, JC Snead and Bob Lunn. Snead dug himself into a hole with a double bogey on 2 and never recovered, finishing with a +1 72 for the round and +1 overall. Lunn began the day at +2 and only birdied 2 holes in his second round, finishing with a +1 72 as well (+3 overall). Snead was last seen wandering down Hollywood Boulevard and drinking from a brown paper bag. Lunn - on his way to the San Fernando Valley, holding a map to the stars, with the address of Linda Lovelace highlighted.

Miller Barber was +2 after his first round, and after nine indifferent holes on Friday dropped another shot. He then birdied 11 and 13, bogeying 12, and finished the round with a birdie, birdie, birdie finish. He shot a -3 68 and was now -1 overall and would survive to play the weekend.

Gary Player shot the best round of the day (67) and had the fewest putts (25). He had 3 birdies and 1 bogey on each side. But because he started the day at even par, he never challenged the lead. As it was though, Player finished the day at -4, only 2 shots back going into moving day.

Arnold Palmer began the day with a 2 shot lead but ended it tied for the lead. In between he scored 4 birdies but offset them with 4 bogeys, the worst of which was the missed 3' par putt on 6. The unplayable lie in the trees on 12 wasn't one to write home about either.

Dave Stockton was -3 after his first round. He birdied 3 of the opening 4 holes on Friday and then after sinking an 11' birdie putt on 6, watched his playing partner Palmer bogey, giving him the solo lead. Stockton immediately lost the lead as he bogeyed 2 of the next 3 holes and 2 more on the back (offset with a single birdie), finishing with a -1 70 (-4 overall).

Trevino began the day 3 shots back but after birdying 1, 6 and 7, was tied for the lead. He then proceeded to bogey 9 and 10, the latter by 3-putting from 15'. But he rallied with 2 more red numbers, including a 28' putt on 14, and finished with a -3 68, matching his first round score (-6 overall).

That leaves Billy Casper, who shot the craziest round of the day, despite the record reflecting it being a mundane even par 71. But it was how he got there that was the story. Casper opened birdie, bogey, birdie, bogey, birdie. After parring 6 and 7, he found himself in the middle of the fairway 145 yards from the green. The wind was swirling. He hit a knockdown 8 Iron. He rolled on his average I, got to take 5 yards less left and the ball was rolling slowly on a line towards the pin. The wind roll was +5 carry and + 5L, but it was a knockdown shot so the wind is 50% less AND rounded down (so 2.5 carry and 2.5 left are 0). The ball was oh so close to the cup. The roll for 12 less the dice total resulted in a double 6 or 12! HOLE OUT! Casper was your solo leader. He immediately gave it back on 9, regained it on 12 with a birdie, and then bogeyed 3 more holes on the back. An even par 71 left him at -4 and with a bad taste in his mouth. Oh, what might have been...

The 3rd round of the 1971 Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open is complete. Course conditions remained Firm for the 3rd day in a row and the wind was Calm. The pins were placed in position # 5.

Miller Barber (beginning the day at -1) and Gary Player (-4) were the first out. Barber birdied the easy par 5 1st, saved par with a 15’ putt on the 2nd, then tapped in on the 3rd after hitting a 7 Iron to 2’. He parred the rest of the front and was out in -2. Player also birdied the 1st then followed up with a birdie on the par 4 2nd after hitting a 4 Iron to 6’. On the 5th Player hit a 7 Iron from 155 yards, he got his average, the ball was on the pin, and then he rolled a double 6 to get the eagle hole-out! He parred the rest of the front nine and was out in -4.

Barber sank a 10’ putt on the 10th then knocked a 3 Wood to 6’ and made the short eagle putt on the par 5 11th. He made a 27’ birdie from the fringe on 14 to record another red number and had no blemishes except for a bogey on the final hole. Barber finished with a 66 (-6 overall).

Player two-putted from 51’ for birdie on the 11th, three-putted for bogey on the par 3 14th, and then went on a birdie binge to finish. He made a 13’ birdie putt on the 15th, and 11’ birdie putts on 16, 17 AND 18, matching his 4 under on the front. An incredible 63 (best round of the early season) put Player in the lead at -12 overall.

The next group paired Billy Casper (-4) with Dave Stockton (-4). Casper opened birdie birdie and looked on his way to an excellent round but bogeyed 5, 6 and 8 going out, and 12 and 15 coming in. He did manage to chip in from 20 yards on 18 and finished with a 73 (-2 overall).

Stockton birdied the 1st, parred the next 5 holes, then bogeyed the 7th before sticking a 9 Iron on 8 (4’ birdie) and sinking an 8’ birdie putt on 9. Stockton was unable to build on that though, bogeying 3 holes on the back with only a single birdie to offset. He finished with an even par 71 and remained at -4.

The final group was Arnold Palmer and Lee Trevino who began the round tied for the lead at -6. Arnie was the only golfer to fail to birdie the opening hole, but birdied the 2nd (6 Iron to 6’), 3rd (sank 17’ putt) and 5th (9 Iron to 5’). He bogeyed the par 3 4th by three-putting from 54’ and also the par 4 9th when he found the sand twice. Palmer was -1 for the round at the turn. Trevino birdied 3 of the opening 4 holes, sticking an 8 Iron within 2’ on the 3rd and draining a 13’ putt on the 4th. He then birdied the short par 4 8th before finding the trees with his second shot on the 9th and bogeying. Trevino made the turn at -3 for the day.

Palmer bogeyed 13 after finding the trees on his drive to drop back to -6 overall. But he rallied on the finishing holes, birdying 15, 17 and 18 for a 68 (-9 overall). Trevino bounced back from the bogey on the 8th with birdies on 10, 11 and 12. He almost holed out from 160 yards on the 15th but had to “settle” for a 1’ birdie putt to move him to -13 overall. He parred the remaining holes to finish with an excellent 64, one shot for the day more than Player but one shot less for the tournament.

Derek, I am enjoying your write ups on the APBA Golf. I was a big fan of APBA games especially the Baseball and Horse Racing. I tried out the Golf Game back in the 80's. In fact we were on a trip through the Amish Country and stopped in Lancaster to visit APBA Company when they were on Millersville Road. I bought the game during that visit.

I never finished one round with the game. I kept going back but could not stay with it. Six or seven years later I tried it out again playing the same tournament but it didn't work for me. When I was still playing the same tourney for 7 years it is an odyssey.

When I worked with Gary Stishan on the Computer APBA Horse Racing I tried out the APBA Computer Golf. At least I got further with the game but I still couldn't stay with it. By the way, some of the old APBA Journals would print cards that you could copy. I still have some.

I like your results and your write-ups. Thanks for sharing,

Frank

Derek Kraft

Post subject:Posted: Sep 27, 2017 - 01:14 PM

Joined: Jul 15, 2015
Posts: 546
Location: New York
Status: Offline

Thanks, Frank, I appreciate it!

I got interested in the game after seeing a FB page entitled The TGA Tour where the members each get a golfer and play a tournament. Apba redid their golf game about 5 years ago and made it better from what I understand. I don't know whether they made it easier or just more realistic as I never had the old game. The box for the old game looks beautiful though. I monitor it on ebay and if I can ever get it cheap...

But yes, it took quite a few rounds before the game got easy to play. Even now, after 10 practice rounds and almost 2 8 man tournaments, I still have a handful of questions. I am going to post them on the delphi forum after I finish this tournament. I play a pair of golfers at a time and I don't think I have played a full round in one sitting yet, but it takes a while to play this game. That is why the TGA tour seems like such a good idea-you can actually play an entire tournament in a short amount of time because you have a bunch of people each with one golfer. Anyways, I bet a single round with one golfer could be played in an hour or two, depending on how fast you like to play and how well the golfer is playing (the more you are in the trees or miss the green the longer it takes).

ASG has a version of their game. I think the guy was involved with Apba but broke off, so the game is similar. I bought some of their courses and will be trying them out next. Some people say that game is better. But I chose Apba because I want to try the TGA Tour.

It rained on Saturday night so Riviera played Soft for the final round of the Glen Campbell-Los Angeles Open. The wind picked up (Blustery) and played havoc with the players. Pin position 6 was used. Scoring wasn’t great and there wasn’t the back and forth that occurred at Congressional, so the summary below is more straightforward.

Billy Casper (beginning the day at -2) and Dave Stockton (-4) were the first out. All 6 golfers birdied the easy opening hole, but Casper only had two more red numbers, which were offset by 3 bogeys. He finished the tournament where he started the day, at -2. Stockton had himself to -9 after 14 holes, having made a couple of bombs (a 72’ putt on 6 and 60’ putt on 14) but then bogeyed 15. A 4 under 67 is nothing to be ashamed of though and Stockton finished at -8 overall.

Miller Barber (-6) and Arnold Palmer (-9) were next. Barber birdied the opening 2 holes and look poised to make a challenge but 3-putt bogeys from 24’ on 4 and 40’ on 10 ended those hopes. Some nice short putting allowed Barber to recover from wayward tee and approach shots on the back nine as he had 6 consecutive 1-putts, including four from between 8-10’. Miller finished with a one under 70 and -7 overall. Arnie also birdied the opening 2 holes then had a setback with a three-putt, Palmer’s occurring from 43’ on the 6th. He then couldn’t find the green on the par 4 8th until his 4th shot and had another square on his card. He made a nice run at the end of his round, birdying 3 of the final 4 holes, but a double bogey on the par 5 11th after finding the trees and having an unplayable lie really thwarted his chances of contending. Palmer finished with a -2 69 and -11 overall.

The final group was Lee Trevino (-13) and Gary Player(-12). They had a strange start to the round with each matching the other on the opening 6 holes (birdy, bogey, birdy, par, bogey, par). Trevino missed a 4’ par putt on the 2nd then had to play safe after a wayward drive into the trees on the 5th. Player had to settle for birdy on the 1st after missing a 7’ eagle putt and then found those same trees on the 5th. Player dropped to 2 back after finding the trees again on the 7th but Trevino did him a solid by bogeying the 8th. Each birdied the 9th and it was a one shot lead at the turn just as it was when the day began.

The 10th hole proved pivotal as Trevino hit a Wedge from the rough on the short par 4 to 12’ then sank the putt. Player also hit a Wedge from the rough but he only found the sand and failed to get up and down. The lead swelled to 3. Lee parred 11-17 while Player birdied 11 before giving it back with a bogey on 14. Gary parred the remaining holes so Trevino’s bogey on 18 had no effect. Trevino finished with an even par 71 and -13 overall and Player a one over 72 and -11 overall.

Trevino follows up his win at Congressional with a win at Riviera. Impressive, Lee!

The tour heads down the road to the venerable Pebble Beach (ASG course) for the Bing Crosby National Pro-Am. Lee Trevino will try to make it 3 wins in a row but will have to outduel the returning Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Weiskopf, Hale Irwin, Frank Beard, Tom Shaw (who won the real 1971 event) and Robert Goalby. See you at the 19th hole!

Derek Kraft

Post subject: 1971 BC (Pebble) 1st rd Posted: Nov 07, 2017 - 01:09 PM

Joined: Jul 15, 2015
Posts: 546
Location: New York
Status: Offline

Welcome to the 1971 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am at the beautiful [ASG course] Pebble Beach. An interesting first round is in the books. Course conditions played Normal and the Wind was only Moderate, which created ideal scoring opportunities (ASG courses tell you which pin to use in each round).

The winner of the opening 2 events, Lee Trevino, was first out, along with his playing partner Frank Beard. Lee rolled in a 24’ birdie on the 1st and never looked back, going out in an impressive 30. Trevino added 2 more birds on the back, and with no blemishes (the sole player not to record a bogey on the day) finished w/ an awesome 8 under 64. Lee hit 17 out of 18 greens to give himself a plethora of chances. Beard bogeyed the opening hole but righted the ship on 2 and added 2 more red numbers on the front, going out in 34. His flatstick was hot the entire round, as he took only 23 putts and made a 10’ and 13’ putt as well as 7 putts between 6’ and 9’. 2 birdies on the back gave Beard a 4 under 68.

Hale Irwin and Tom Weiskopf were next. Whereas Irwin had 3 birdies on the opening 5 holes and looked primed to shoot a great score, Weiskopf was even par after a bogey and single birdie. Weiskopf then hit a 4I to 5’ on the par 5 6th and sank the putt for eagle, while Irwin took 3 shots to find the green and settled for par. Tom parred the remaining holes on the front while Hale bogeyed 7 and birdied 8 and 9. So Hale was out in 32 and Tom in 34. Weiskopf had 3 birdies and 1 bogey on the back to finish with a 68 (-4). Irwin’s excellent round was lost on the 10th when he drove the ball in the hazard then on his 4th shot w/ a sand wedge found the hazard again. What could be worse than a triple bogey? How about a 3 putt from 5’, which Irwin managed on the par 3 12th (he rolled the dreaded “54” 2x). 2 red numbers coming in offered little solace (though upon reflection left him well on the desired side of the cut line) and Irwin finished at 71 (-1).

Tom Shaw and Jack Nicklaus were the third group out. Shaw birdied the 6th and 9th going out, and also the 16th and 18th coming in, but 5 bogeys, including 3 straight from the 13th through the 15th, and a double on the par 3 5th, did him in. Shaw shot an ugly +3 75. Jack doubled the 4th after struggling w/ a buried lie in the sand and bogeyed the 11th and 18th, but his bad holes were more than offset by 10 birdies. Nicklaus had not one but TWO runs of 4 birdies in a row (5th-8th and 13th-16th)! The Golden Bear was stroking it too, needing only 23 putts and 1-putting each of the first 8 holes. Jack finished with a -6 66.

The final group consisted of the South African Gary Player and the Illinoisan Robert Goalby. I think it would be fair to describe the latter’s round as up and down, with little in between, as Goalby soared to 6 birdies, and plummeted to 7 bogeys PLUS a double, with only 4 pars. Like Irwin, Goalby’s double occurred on the 10th where he found the cliffs twice. Goalby shot a +3 75. Player opened with a pair of birdies then eagled the par 5 6th after hitting a 5W to 6’. Another birdie on the 8th had him thinking he might do something extraordinary but Player then found the cliffs on 2 straight holes, 9 and 10, bogeying each, and missed a 5’ par putt on the 11th. Somehow, Gary overcame those 3 straight bogeys and birdied 13 and 15 and miraculously, eagled 18, after AGAIN hitting his trusty 5W to 5’!!! So Player WAS extraordinary, grabbing 2 eagles in the same round! He finished with a -6 66.

Round 2 of the 1971 Big Crosby National Pro-Am is complete. The conditions remained the same at Pebble Beach as the mild weather continued (Normal course, Moderate wind). Despite this, the course played tough, as only 3 of the 8 golfers managed to shoot under par. But one of those who shot low really shot low and had the greatest of highlights, a hole in one, earning the coveted year supply of smokes from our good friends at Winston.

Let’s start with the bad, the two guys who missed the cut. Robert Goalby began the day at +3 and needed a good round. He didn’t get it, shooting a 77. What was interesting was how he got there. He birdied 3, 4 and 6, before bogeying 7 and finishing the front nine in a -2 34 (+1 overall), giving himself a chance. He found the cliffs off the tee on 10, doubling the hole, and the wheels came off as he bogeyed 4 more holes on the back plus doubling 16 after driving into the trees and missing a 3’ putt (rolling the dreaded 54). Goalby shot a 43 on the back.

Hale Irwin woke up at -1, confident he could shoot a good round and play the weekend. Not so fast, Hale! A bogey on 1, 2 more front side bogies and a double on 4 were too much, even with 2 birdies. The back nine was similar as he too drove into the hazard, doubling 10. Hale shot 39s on each side.

Tom Shaw began the day over the cut line at +3 but rectified that on the opening holes, scoring on each of the first 6 holes, including an eagle on the short par 5 2nd. He bogeyed 8 and birdied 9 to finish the front in 29 strokes. He struggled on the back, hitting the lip in bunkers on BOTH 14 and 16, but still finished with a more than respectable 67, moving him to -2 overall.

Tom Weiskopf played some great iron shots, hitting to 2’ from 125 yards on 3, 4’ from 30 yards in the rough on 5, 2’ from 95 yards on 7 and 4’ from 165 yards on 18. But he double 9 after finding the hazard on his 7-iron 2nd shot, and finished with a 73, putting him -3 overall.

Jack Nicklaus was only 2 shots back to begin the day but never really got going on Friday. He had 3 birdies and 4 bogeys, hit into the cliffs on both the 10th and the 18th, and had 29 putts for the round. He shot a 73 and found himself at -5 for the tournament.

Like Jack, Gary Player began the day at -6. He made 7’ and 8’ birdie putts on the 1st and 2nd, and looked to be on his way to a stellar round. Alas, it was not to be. He parred the rest of the front then had 2 birdies and 2 bogeys on the back, finishing with a 70.

It was a strange round for the 1st round leader (and winner of the first 2 tournaments of the season) Lee Trevino. He birdied the easy 2nd before bogeying the next 2 holes, finding the hazard off the tee on the 4th. He then birdied three straight, parred the 8th and bogeyed the 9th after again finding the hazard, this time with a 6-iron approach. He parred 10-16, bogeyed 17 and looked like he was about to give another stroke back after hitting a 3-wood 2nd shot into the trees. He ended up having to play safe then hit a so-so wedge that still wasn’t on the putting surface. Nevertheless he grabbed his putter and salvaged par from the fringe. Lee shot an even par 72.

The round of the day, and really the round of this young season (sure, Player shot a 63 in LA), was shot by the unlikeliest of suspects, Frank Beard, who began the day at 4 under. Frank began his assault on the 2nd with a 5-wood from 230 yards that settled 2’ from the cup. He tapped that in, parred 3, then birdied 4, 5 and 6. The 4th was especially interesting as he hit a poor Sand Wedge (you could see him stomping his foot in disgust after the swing) but he caught a gust of wind that brought his ball back and ended up only 6’ from the pin. The 95 yard 7th though was where the magic really happened. He threw a Wedge straight up in the air, the wind moved it 5 yards left and dead on the pin. One bounce and GULP, the hole swallowed the ball, the crowd cheered and Frank Beard had an ace and a year’s supply of the world’s finest cigarettes, Winston. He parred the remaining holes on the front (matching Shaw’s 29) then had 2 birdies and a bogey on the back, finishing with a 64 and moving not only into first place but four shots clear. Breathtaking!

Perhaps the most interesting fact about Moving Day at the 1971 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am is that, for the 3rd day in a row, the wind was only Moderate (there is only a 1/6th chance each round of getting Moderate winds with 5/6ths Blustery). Paired with Normal course conditions, scoring was possible, but only 2 of the 6 players who survived the cut managed to shoot in the 60s.

Tom Shaw began the day at -2 and had a decent -1 round going when he doubled the tough par 3 17th (missing the green, hitting a poor Wedge, then missing a 3' bogey putt when he rolled the dreaded "54"). He then was forced to play safe after driving into the trees on the 18th and bogeyed, finishing with a 74.

Tom Weiskopf began at 3 under and was at the same number after 9 holes. He missed a 3' putt on 10 to drop a shot, made a short putt off the green on 11 to birdie, then hit a great 4-Iron on the par 3 12th and sank an 8' putt. Tom missed the green on 13 then chipped to 6', but missed the putt. Weiskopf bounced back with a birdie on 14 after after sticking a Wedge to 2'. He then birdied 15 and hit a 5-Wood 2nd to 16' on the difficult 18th, birdying again. Weiskopf shot a fine 69.

Jack Nicklaus shot the round of the day, a magical 65 after beginning the day at -5. He opened with 4 straight birdies, including a putt off the green from 22' on the 3rd. He added another red number after hitting a 6-Iron from 195 yards to 3' on the 8th. Jack chipped in from 10 yards on the 12th and grabbed another birdy on the par 5 14th after laying up then sticking a Wedge to 5'. The Golden Bear had chances to go even lower but missed a 5' putt on 13, a 9' putt on 16 and a 7' putt on 18. At the end though his card was unblemished and he was in perfect position to challenge on Sunday.

Lee Trevino (-8 after 2 rds) played with Jack and matched him on the opening 3 holes, birdying each. He bogeyed the par 3 5th after missing the green but got the shot back after hitting a 9-Iron to 5' on the 8th. After another birdie on 11 Lee was sitting pretty, but he struggled coming home, bogeying 3 of the final 4 holes, including the 18hth, where he shockingly missed a 3' putt. Trevino finished with a 71.

Gary Player began the day 4 shots back of the leader, like Lee, but dug himself into a hole after bogeying the 1st and 3rd. He got one back after hitting a 5-Iron to 6' on the par 3 5th, then eagled after hitting a magnificent 3-Wood second to 6' on the par 5 6th. He birdied 9 and was -2 for the round at the turn. He experienced neither the highs nor the lows on the back as he parred every hole, finishing with a 70.

Frank Beard was the overnight leader at -12 after shooting a 64 on Friday. Beard made a pair of par putts from 10' and even one from 24' on the front, and had to feel lucky going out in -1 after a birdie on the 6th. Beard hit a great knockdown 6-Iron on the 10th, which led to a birdie, before bogeying 11 and 12 (missed both greens, hit a bad chip on 11 and missed from 7' on 12). Beard bounced back by using his short stick to make birdies from 12' and 11' on the 13th and 14th respectively. He parred the rest of the way and finished with a 70.

With 4 players within 5 shots of the lead things are shaping up for a compelling finish.

I thoroughly enjoyed your recap of your tourney and look forward to reading the Sunday recap as well.
APBA golf is a pretty good game that I think is underrated. I have several seasons myself and enjoy playing, especially the greats from different eras against each other.
Looking forward to Sundays final day!